Spinning process for metallic packages forming with pre-flap forming and spinning equipment for metallic packages forming with pre-flap forming

Abstract

It is understood as being preferably intended for the manufacture of cans through spinning, molding the can bodies ( 1 ) in the most varied shapes, also enabling the attainment of deep necking or die-necking in the can bodies (1), it may be use for the several purposes, from food and beverage cans, to chemicals and others, and they may be manufactured in several materials such as tin foil, chromed sheet and black plate, using the spinning process molding the can bodies ( 1 ), being able to be used in several types of cans, from those which use metallic, plastic or mixed lids (compound plastic+metallic), clamped such as those using metallic, plastic or mixed (compound+metallic) lid system and undamped, provided with sealing gaskets and vacuum closure.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
   
   
       25 . A spinning process for metallic packages formed with pre-flap forming and spinning equipment, comprising the steps of:
 forming the package as a can by spinning beginning with a can body having an initial necking diameter; and   expanding the initial diameter to form the can body up to a find diameter or a desired geometric shape.   
   
   
       26 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the necking diameter is  62 . 4  mm, the expanding step including expanding the diameter to 73 mm, corresponding to an expansion factor of 16%. 
   
   
       27 . The process according to  claim 25 , including providing a metallic sheet and withdrawing forty can bodies from the metallic sheet. 
   
   
       28 . The process according to  claim 27 , including transferring the sheet to a varnishing/lithography line. 
   
   
       29 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the can body spinning and forming is performed in two operations, the first operation carries out a pre-expansion and invitation to provide a can flap, and the second operation carries out a full expansion of the can body which removes irregularities in dimensions of the flap thereby simplifying clamping and closure of a bottom of the can and preventing leakage. 
   
   
       30 . The process according to  claim 29 , including producing top and bottom flaps in the can body during the pre-expansion. 
   
   
       31 . The process according to  claim 25 , including conveying can bodies vertically by a conveyor up to an equipment input point, and further conveying the can bodies from the input point via a worm conveyor system that rotates about a horizontal axis and in a synchronized manner via gears including an input star that rotates about a vertical axis. 
   
   
       32 . A spinning process for metallic packages formed with pre-flap forming and spinning equipment, comprising the steps of:
 forming a pre-flap by spinning, molding and locking a can body prior to expansion, starting from a smaller necking diameter and pre-expanding, molding top and bottom ends of the can body and forming the pre-flap;   locking the can body; and   expanding the body into a desired geometric shape using a mandrel or by a stretching process.   
   
   
       33 . The process according to  claim 32 , including forming the pre-flap before expansion, molding the top and bottom ends before expansion, and locking the can body before expansion. 
   
   
       34 . The process according to  claim 32 , wherein the pre-flap forming by spinning and locking the can body before the expansion is preformed in two different operations, wherein the first operation carries out a pre-expansion that obtains two pre-flaps, and the second operation carries out full expansion of the can body which removes irregularities in dimensions of the flaps and prevents can tightness and hermetics exposure. 
   
   
       35 . The process according to  claim 34 , wherein the forming of the top and bottom flaps and locking the can body occur in a single step so as to increase efficiency and velocity of the process. 
   
   
       36 . Pre-flap forming and spinning equipment for metallic packages, such as cans, comprising:
 conveyors for vertically conveying can bodies to an equipment input point;   a worm conveyor system arranged at the input point, the worm conveyor being horizontally positioned and rotatable about a longitudival axis; and   gears including an input star that rotates about a vertical axis, the gears turning the worm conveyor in a synchronized manner.   
   
   
       37 . The equipment according to  claim 36 , wherein each can body is moved from the worm conveyor to the input star by a synchronized system so that the can bodies are admitted one by one in an aligned vertical position. 
   
   
       38 . The equipment according to  claim 37 , and further comprising gearing for synchronously transferring the can bodies in the vertical position from the input star to a pre-flap forming station, the input star and the forming station rotating in opposite directions about vertical axes so that the can bodies are transferred continuously one by one. 
   
   
       39 . The equipment according to  claim 38 , wherein each can body is pre-expanded in the forming station, whereby the pre-flap and can body locking are made. 
   
   
       40 . The equipment according to  claim 39 , and further comprising an output star driven synchronously with the forming station for accepting the can bodies from the forming station. 
   
   
       41 . The equipment according to  claim 40 , and further comprising gearing with gears that rotate about vertical axes for synchronously transferring the can bodies from the forming station to the output star which rotates opposite to the forming station. 
   
   
       42 . The equipment according to  claim 41 , wherein the synchronized system includes gears located on a lower part of corresponding axles, wherein the worm conveyor system is related to a first gear, the input star is related with a second gear, the forming station is related to a third gear, and the output star is related to a fourth gear, and further comprising an electric gear motor for driving the gears, the gears being immersed in an oil bath, wherein an oil pump lubricates the equipment in a cyclic manner. 
   
   
       43 . The equipment according to  claim 39 , wherein the forming station includes piston sets having tools for pre-flap formation and can body locking. 
   
   
       44 . The equipment according to  claim 40 , wherein the forming station has an inner part with a gear that transmits movement to a bottom circular drum that is coupled by a coupling column to a top circular drum, the top circular drum, the bottom circular drum and the coupling column being turnable about a central column that is static and fixed to a machine base. 
   
   
       45 . The equipment according to  claim 44 , and further comprising a top circular cam and a bottom circular cam respectively arranged inside the bottom drum and top drum, the cams being mechanically fastened to the coupling column, the cams having perimeters with specific shapes to permit follower rollers, which are coupled to shafts by supports, to move relative to each other whereby the follower rollers move closer together or further apart according to the shapes of the cams. 
   
   
       46 . The equipment according to  claim 45 , wherein the tools are provided in ends of the shafts that perform the pre-flap formation and can body locking during can body turning. 
   
   
       47 . The equipment according to  claim 45 , wherein the follower rollers coupled to the shafts by the supports act as a piston set the goes up and down, the number of piston sets being dependent on a desired number of can bodies per hour. 
   
   
       48 . The equipment according to  claim 36 , wherein all sets of devices can be arranged in both vertical and horizontal positions thereby enabling processing of the can body from a starting conveyance to a final conveyance in a vertical or horizontal orientation.